Patrick1053
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Thanks for the info. I think I will go with EB because the price difference is quite small. Carmina is $890 vs EB at $1050.They both use Horween, so no differentiator there. EB is mostly hand welt. I prefer hand welt makers, I feel like they are preserving the art of shoe making, so tend to favor them. With the amount of shoes I have to choose from, other than sentimental reasons for choosing them, it’s likely a wash. Carmina has more “modern” last’s, if you’re looking for that they get the edge there. I don’t have lots of Carmina last’s, overwhelmingly Rain, next Forest, a few Soller, Llubi and an Oscar are in my room.
Again, for me I just love EB’s aesthetic, so they out number everyone in my shoe room, with Carmina and C&J a close second in terms of numbers.
I see you’re selling an EB, so you have some experience with EB craftsmanship. Carmina is a really great maker, the customer engagement gives them a big edge over most makers IMO. But, as much as I like Carmina the proof is in the pudding. My purchase history shows, I’m not willing to pay full price for Carmina shell, for EB I am. Honestly though, it’s only a few hundred dollars more for EB, but I feel they are worth it.
You’ll be surprised to find that, I said all that to say, give Carmina a try. They’re a good maker, and it’s not like you’re gonna stop buying shoes anytime soon. So, you’ll have a nice pair of Carmina shell Chukka’s. I suspect you’ll be back to EB in the long run.
I have shoes from both, I like both, but I like hand welted like you.
Since I am gonna get these unlined for warmer weather use there is no rush. Therefore the months-long turnaround with EB is not a problem.
Do you think EB would have any difficulty with the unlined aspect of my order?